A small break from puppy pictures, redoing the wallpaper cabinet

Recently, I cleaned out my wallpaper storage. It had gotten away from me, and honestly I couldn't even remember what I had or even find it if I did know what I was looking for. Plus, the rolls had been put away haphazardly and were tearing and shredded in places.

First, I took every roll down, and cleaned inside the shelf.  Then, I took everything off the top of the cabinet while I was at it, and got that area straightened up.  The stained glass window had been buried behind piles of books, so I moved the books and added a string of lights behind the colored glass. It is so pretty, I'm vowing to myself to keep the top clear so I can enjoy the twinkly colors.

When rolls get near their end, they become brittle.  So, the tiniest rolls aren't very useful. I decided to gently unroll them, iron them flat and cut the paper up to store flat in a cabinet, ready to use.  A lot of it tore, so I stacked the smaller bits into a scrap drawer by my desk to pull out and use for cards, tags, and other projects where a tidbit goes a long way toward adding some interest to the final result.

 None of the treasured, old paper was wasted or thrown away!  And now, it is much easier to get to and use.  

The larger rolls got trimmed up, with torn parts removed (and saved with the other scraps).  Then, I re-rolled the first few feet inside out, so that when I glanced at the cabinet, I could see which were which without taking the rolls down to open and look inside.

It is hard to tell from this photo, but they are also placed onto the shelf in a sort of color combo.  I have neutrals on the left, followed by blues, next pinks, greens, and finally, brights on the right. (flocked wallpapers are stored elsewhere)

Redoing the cabinet makes the room feel cleaner, and inspires me to get in there and play with those pretty papers.  I can't wait to make something with one of those beloved rosy patterns.  I came across many I"d totally forgotten about and some that will be ideal for the Snowbird Song projects we will be making.

Comments

[stacy z.]

I never come across pretty vintage wallpapers, you must have them all :)

[Karla Nathan]

Ha, I might, Stacy! Years of collecting. Mostly from eBay tho.

[jeanie]

Art room/studio storage and cleaning can be a huge pain but it is so worth it when it's done. I did round one this spring and will tackle it again with a greater fervor when I get home to stay in the fall. This time I will take a long, hard look at what I will never do again and do my best to get those things to good homes. We'll see!

[Suzanne]

Such lovely, pretty, vintage papers!! I think that cabinet sometimes holds yummy treats too💕

[Karla Nathan]

Im planning on lots of goodies in November! We missed you on Saturday, Suzanne. Im glad we will see you in the fall.